Synthetic biology has been an inspiration to artists, designers and laypeople. For example, the design collective BIOS have imagined how bioreactors might fit into public parks, while artist Oron Catts makes provocative installations such as ‘victimless leather’ made from living cells. Around the world, communities of DIY biologists are trying to make biotechnology accessible to everyone. Many of these groups have an ‘open-source’ approach, and want to share knowledge rather than protect it through patenting. Read more about the new parks here or the DIY biologists here.